A Rat in King Neko's Court
by Hoki Doki
Summary: Yuki suddenly wakes up in a world resembling the Middle Ages, where Kyo is a ruthless king, and no one remembers him.
1. Journey

**Title: **A Rat in King Neko's Court

**Synopsis**: Yuki suddenly wakes up in a world resembling the Middle Ages, where Kyo is a ruthless king, and no one remembers him.

**Rating**: T for mild profanity, nudity, and medieval violence.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Fruits Basket.

* * *

><p><strong>~Prologue~<strong>

A crowd of noblemen waited in great anticipation, as the red carpet was released from the top of the stairs. The horns sounded on cue.

The figure of honor appeared at the top. He was young, handsome, and had orange hair with a bright crown adorning his head. His red cape lined with white fur and jewels flowed behind him as he walked down the stairs. A white kitten jumped up to play with it from behind.

The people gaped at his presence and promptly dropped to their knees.

"All hail the Neko King! All hail the Neko King!" they chanted repeatedly.

He flashed a wicked smile.

* * *

><p><strong>~Chapter 1~<strong>

Something smelled…unpleasant. It was so god awful that Yuki curled up into a fetal position and pinched his nose hard. Oh god, it smelled worse than Kyo's diarrhea. What on earth was it? A fly suddenly buzzed in his ear, making him spring up. One quick look around, and Yuki could tell that he wasn't in Kansas anymore. Wait, has he ever been to Kansas?

The scenery was nothing but dirt, small patches of grass, and trees in the far distance. And next to him was a fresh pile of horse manure. Yuki scrambled to his feet to get as far away from that as possible.

"Ugh, how disgusting!" he yelled, as he wandered out into the middle of the dirt path.

There were no people, no power lines, no signs, nothing. This place was truly in the middle of nowhere. To make matters worse, he was stark naked. He quickly covered his wiener and looked for a place to hide. Well, there was a bush right next to the horse manure. His stomach churned. If this was someone's idea of a joke, he would hunt them down and gnaw them to death with his incisors.

Suddenly, Yuki could hear something approaching. He had no choice but to run over to the bush and wait. As it came closer, he saw that it was a horse pulling a wagon with a blanket draped over the cargo. That was an unusual sight, but then again, nothing could be stranger than a naked purple-haired boy hiding behind a bush. If he didn't speak up now, he'd be eating the finest digested grass for dinner.

"Ah..um…excuse me! Please stop!" he yelled, his cheeks burning red from embarrassment.

The wagon quickly slowed to a stop. The driver was just an unimportant side character who didn't need a description and could be left to the imagination of the reader.

"Oh, aren't you a young looking lad. Need a ride into town? I only charge five silver coins," the driver said.

Yuki's heart raced with panic. He had no idea how to explain his predicament. Wait, why wasn't the driver the least bit surprised?

"Um… I…I honestly don't know how I got here. Where is this place? May I borrow a cell phone?"

The driver looked puzzled for a second.

"Look boy, if you don't have five silver coins, I'm afraid I can't let you ride. But town sure is an awfully long way from here. I doubt you're gonna get another chance like this soon."

"Um… I don't have any silver coins… But I promise I'll pay you back later."

"I'll pay for him!" a new voice interrupted.

Yuki just realized that a man had been sitting in the wagon. He was wearing a hooded cloak that blended in with the blanket, so he wasn't easily noticeable.

The driver looked satisfied. "Well in that case, you can hop on, boy. Hurry up, don't keep me waiting."

What a blessing. Yuki looked both ways and hurried towards the wagon, still covering his wiener. As soon as he came aboard, they took off.

"Here, I've got a spare." The kind man tossed him a cloak. "I won't ask for it back though. My oh my, you smell to high heaven."

Yuki wrapped himself tightly, heaving a sigh of relief. It was still embarrassing that he smelled, but at least he wasn't naked anymore. At least he could go home.

"Uh, I really don't know how to thank you, sir… I really have no idea how I got here in this state. It must be someone's horrible idea of a joke. I've never felt so humiliated in my…"

The man chuckled and removed his hood.

Yuki blinked.

"…SHIGURE!"

A look of surprise came over the identified man's face. He looked around and then pointed at himself questioningly.

"Oh, I think you have mistaken me for someone else! That isn't my name!" he laughed nervously.

Yuki lunged for Shigure's throat, eyes beaming red.

"Shigure, this isn't funny! What have you done to me? Where am I?"

"Hm, well, I believe that I just covered your smelly ass. And as to our whereabouts, we are on the outskirts of Neko Kingdom. Now, will you be so kind as to let go of me? To be blunt, you smell like—"

He cut him off by tightening his grip.

"Tch! There you go making up _stupid_ names. So how did I _get_ here then?"

"Hmm let's see... Abandoned by your mother, escaped from slavery, tragically separated from the girl whom you eloped with—OH the possibilities are endless!"

"Shigure, I don't have time for your nonsense! I'm seriously going to make you wish you weren't even born."

"Now now, calm down! You have clearly mixed me up with someone else. Tell me, where is the last place that you remember being?"

"Stop playing dumb with me! I was at _your_ house! I went to bed first after Miss Honda served dinner! I am appalled that you could have drugged me, taken my clothes, and dumped me in a place like _this!_"

Shigure blinked.

"Please wait a moment while I tell the driver to drop you off at the loony bin."

Yuki couldn't contain his rage any longer. He raised his fist and struck Shigure as hard as he could. In the next instant, a rush of pain surged through his head, and everything went black. He awoke lying on his back with a huge headache. It took all of his strength just to sit back up.

"I won the first round~! I won the first round~!" Shigure sang with a huge smile. "It was hardly wise of you to attack me, though. You're nothing but skin and bones, you poor thing! And now starvation has driven you mad! It was quite scary, really. I've never been in someone's delusion before."

At this point, Yuki was too shocked, frustrated, and hurt to say anything. He did feel weaker than usual. A dreadful feeling settled in the pit of his stomach. What if this nightmare was far from being over?

Shigure quickly changed the subject.

"Nevertheless, we should both try to get some sleep now. We have a long way to go yet. By the way, you can call me, um… Odo. Now what shall I call you?"

Yuki promptly turned away, holding his swollen cheek. Maybe it was Shigure who had lost his marbles. He tried to convince himself that once they arrived, he'd find someone to help him. Better yet, he'd find a phone to call his savior, Hatori.

"Hey now, it's not nice to ignore someone who's paying your way!"

"Shut up," Yuki muttered.

"Does it still hurt?"

"…"

Seeing as the conversation was unsuccessful, Shigure slumped into a corner and pulled the hood back over his head. His eyes narrowed suspiciously at Yuki, as he touched the hilt of his sword.

The wagon rolled silently the rest of the way to town. Yuki had fallen into a deep slumber and was gently shaken awake upon arrival. Looking around in a daze, he saw a crowd of people. In fact, it was a lively marketplace. What a relief! But there was just one little problem. Everything seemed to have popped right out of a medieval storybook, ranging from the woolen clothing, gowns, and headdresses to the white buildings that had wooden support and thatched roofs. His attention briefly turned to a shop owner who was scolding a little boy for attempting to steal a loaf of bread.

However, the most shocking thing to behold was the castle in the distance. It stood tall and magnificent against the sunset. A flock of birds flew across the sky. Yuki stared in awe at the sight before him, temporarily forgetting his situation. Now this was turning into a fairytale.

"Is this… Is any of this real?" he stammered, as he crawled towards Shigure to get a better look.

"Yes, as real as your smell," he whimpered in reply.

The wagon stopped in front of a store. The horse farted.

"Alright, this is as far as I'm going. Now cough up five silver coins for the boy," the driver said.

Shigure seized Yuki's arm.

"Ouch! Just what do you think you're—"

"RUN!"

_To be continued..._

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>: As an interesting fact, cats were regarded as witches and evil creatures in the Middle Ages, thus Kyo will be a wicked king and set a bad reputation in history.

I'm actually not deeply knowledgeable about the Middle Ages, so I may not give the most accurate portrayal. By saying that the story takes place in a world resembling that time, I hope I can get away with any inaccuracies. This is fantasy, so please don't take them too seriously. *bows down before you*

It has been several years since I've written fanfiction. This story is actually one of my oldest ideas. I'm sure that you can guess the movie that influenced the title. I hope it's interesting so far. It originally had very strong language, but I decided to tone it down for a "T" rating.


	2. Laughing Cow

~**Chapter 2**~

_Flashback_

"And now, your Majesty, ladies and gentleman, we present to you the funniest man in all of Neko Kingdom! Give it up for the _Laughing Cow!_"

A man dressed in clown attire danced towards the middle of the hall, jingling the bells on his sleeves. He took out five balls and proceeded to juggle them. One ball dropped on his head, making him dizzy.

The act tickled everyone in the audience except for the boy sitting slumped on his throne. He yawned and gently played around with his white kitten.

"Are you kidding me? That wasn't funny," he said. "Do something dangerous."

Without delay, he upgraded his act to juggling fire torches, which held the crowd in great suspense.

"Why don't you set yourself on fire?"

Everyone fell silent, including the entertainer who stopped acting.

"Come on. _Do_ it."

"Oh your majesty, you shame me for having a greater sense of humor than I! But I have plenty of tricks that will please you!" he said, unwilling to reveal how shaken he felt.

The Neko King's personal servant leaned over and whispered something into his ear, his long, silver hair falling over his shoulders.

He smiled after receiving the message.

"_Do_ it. I command you!"

His eyes filled with tears before he set himself ablaze.

The kitten buried its head in the king's cape.

* * *

><p>"RUN!"<p>

Yuki was yanked off the wagon and nearly fell when his feet touched the ground. They took off at such ungodly speed that he didn't even hear the driver yelling after them. The crowd of unsuspecting people were shoved out of the way by Shigure who repeatedly apologized, as a few of them spilled their baskets of food. They finally came to a stop in a dark area between two buildings. Yuki collapsed on his hands and knees.

"What…were you…_thinking_?" Yuki growled while trying to catch his breath.

"Oh, it seems that I didn't have the money like I thought!" Shigure explained a little too cheerfully. "Anyway, I think you're safe now."

"Hahaha…haha… You think…_I'm _safe. You _idiot_. Now he'll be after _me_."

"Ah, he'll forgive," he replied surly. "Anyway, I have some important business to tend to. So! Are you finally willing to give me your name, or shall we be forever strangers? After all, I did just give you a free ride, _and_ I saved your life."

Yuki propped himself up against the side of a building, glaring darts at him. That stupid dog had some nerve when he wasn't even being honest_._

"I'm still not going to play your stupid game. Fine, I don't care _what_ you do. I'm going to find a phone and call Hatori, and then this will be all over."

"And I'll just pretend to know exactly what you're talking about. Alrighty then, don't forget to take a bath!" he shouted, and then he was gone. Just like that.

Yuki wondered what his 'business' entailed, as he headed back out into the open. It truly felt like being in a different country, wounded far back in time. The crowds were thinning out as it was getting darker. Without any time to lose, he approached several people, asking them where he was and if they could direct him to the nearest phone. Their typical response was to treat him like an alien. No one wanted to have anything to do with him. Yuki started looking for Shigure, realizing how stupid his hope had been, but he was nowhere to be found.

Suddenly, a rowdy group of men caught his attention. They were excitedly gathered around a fight while chanting, "Haru! Haru!" Wait, could it be? Yuki squeezed his way through the crowd to see what was going on. Low and behold, it was really Hatsuharu. He just hoisted a man twice his size and slammed him against the ground. It was a knock out. The crowd erupted into a cheer, tossing coins into his basket. Haru threw his arms into the air, looking crazy from all the excitement. Wow, he was really into it. It took a few minutes for the crowd to dissipate, leaving Haru to count his winnings.

Yuki took a deep breath and approached him.

"Haru! Boy am I glad to see _you_."

Haru glanced in his general direction with a deadpan expression. It was like the fight had never happened.

"Oh, a fan," he mumbled.

Yuki came closer, to which Haru responded by pushing him back hard.

"Haru, it's me! Yuki! I've been so lost trying to figure out where I am. What a relief that I found you. How did you get here?"

"Uh, I was born here. Now get lost. I'm done fighting today."

"What…what are you talking about? Come on, don't you recognize me?"

Two children quickly ran up to Haru, their eyes beaming at the money he earned.

"Kisa! Hiro!" Yuki shouted in surprise.

Haru crouched down in front of the kids, securing their shoulders with his big, strong arms.

"Hey. Do you two know this guy?"

They shook their heads no, and he turned to gaze full at Yuki's face.

_Awkward silence…_

"Are you a dirty little bastard?" He finally asked, as he cracked his knuckles.

"What? No! Cut it out, Haru!"

"You a stalker, is that it?"

"No! We're cousins, remember?"

Haru stepped closer.

"Oh come on, this is so silly!" Yuki protested. "I'll prove it! I know that when you're hugged by a girl, you turn into a—"

It really sucked being so weak. Yuki managed to block the cow's punch with his arms, but the impact sent him flying to the ground. He landed on his back with a hard thud.

Haru was about to send a kick to his stomach when Kisa suddenly interjected herself between them, embracing Yuki.

"Stop! No more fighting!" she shouted.

For a suspended second, Haru looked horrified and stood completely still, waiting for the usual result.

Nothing happened.

"Alright, alright… I won't hurt him anymore," Haru said, as he gently pulled Kisa away. "So, you're one of us, huh?"

Saved! Yuki laughed, a laugh so free and happy that he startled them. But as he tried to get up, he squirmed around like a helpless little bug stuck on its back. He caught someone's hand which helped to lift him.

"Come on. You're probably hungry, right? I'll take you to my place." Haru smiled.

* * *

><p>After dinner, which consisted of only bread and water, Hiro and Kisa were fast asleep. Yuki took this opportunity to tell Haru all about his world and the Sohma family.<p>

"That sure is one hell of a story," Haru said, as he laid back on the straw covered floor. "But I believe you."

"Do you know any of the other Sohmas?"

"Sorry, can't say I have... But if I ever meet Kyo or Akito, I'll personally kick their asses for you."

Yuki sweat dropped. Just imagine. _Black Haru_ vs. _Akito_. Who would win that round?

"You know, it's funny that you believe me, yet I still find it hard to accept this place. I still don't have a_ clue_ how I got here."

"If you ask me, I think you were brought here for a purpose."

"Like what kind of purpose? And by whom?"

"Well, do you know anything about the Neko King?"

"No, nothing." Yuki couldn't quite keep the curiosity out of his voice. He thought about the castle which he admired so deeply.

"Then let me tell you my story. When I was a kid, my father was a wealthy entertainer for the royal court. He wore funny clothes with bright colors and bells attached to 'em that always made people laugh. I especially loved him.

Suddenly, our former king died from an illness. His son took the throne at a very young age, calling himself the "Neko King." In fact, he's only like a couple years older than me. At his coronation, my father was appointed to entertain him. He decided to do a comedy act that was very popular with children. Hell, it was even one of my favorite acts. But right in the middle of his performance, the Neko King ordered him to commit suicide…"

Haru tensed up, clinching his fists.

"Just because…just because he didn't laugh. That's right. My father had to die _just _because that little bastard didn't have a friggen' sense of humor! If I had been there, I would have murdered him. Since then, everything got much worse. He banished my mother and me from nobility, calling us a family of fools. It was extremely hard on just the two of us. My mother was terrified of giving me away to the Church because of my curse, so she tried to raise me on her own. Our harsh living conditions eventually became too much for her, and she died in the same year. The Neko King took both my parents away, and I will _never_ forgive him for that.

So I wandered alone for a while, feeling bitter and hungry. While most orphans ended up getting arrested for stealing food or starved to death, I transformed into a cow in my weakest state. I was pretty small, so I thought I could camp out behind a house throughout the night unnoticed. When I woke up, I was inside, being nursed back to health by a complete stranger. My curse didn't even surprise him. His name is Kazuma, but I started calling him Master."

"Master!" Yuki interrupted. He forgot to mention him earlier. "In my world, he taught us martial arts."

"Oh yeah? Well, he actually took me in and trained me how to fight. He was also taking care of Hiro and Kisa, who I thought were orphans just like me. The four of us got along like a happy family. But suddenly a few weeks ago, Master told me that he had something urgent to do and that he'd be back in a few days. He also showed me two necklaces that had the royal family's crest on them, which belong to Hiro and Kisa. He didn't have any time to explain, just said that I had to protect them. And that was the last time we ever saw him.

Yuki… My gut tells me that he went to see the Neko King and got in some sort of trouble. I want to find him because I can't afford to lose anyone else important to me. I also want to avenge my parents. So to answer your question, I think fate brought you here to help me. The royal court is probably full of Sohmas. It's obvious that Akito is the Neko King, don't you think?"

"Haru, wait a second... Even if that were true, there's nothing _I_ can do. I just want to return to my world," Yuki said more sharply than intended.

"Can't you transform into a rat and sneak inside the castle or something?"

"No!"

"Well, what if the only way to go back was to assassinate the Neko King?" Haru whispered, his eyes narrowing.

Yuki suppressed a laugh. He doubted that he could even say 'Neko King' with a straight face.

"This is getting ridiculous…"

"Yuki…you're the only one who knows about his weaknesses. You _have_ to help me."

"I'm not getting involved in matters that don't concern me, Haru! You have _no_ idea what it feels like to be in _my_ shoes."

"But you're not wearing any shoes." Haru blinked, confused.

"You know what I mean!"

"Besides, it's too late. You're already involved. And if you really care about us, you'll help."

"Look, I'm sorry about what happened to your parents. But this world isn't my place to change anything. For all I know, I could be dreaming, and I'll be laughing about it with you after I wake up. Now will you_ please_ just _drop_ it?"

Haru rolled over to face in the opposite direction, curling his bottom lip back.

"Fine then. Tomorrow, pay me back for the food and the sleepover and you can get the hell on out of here."

"Fine!"

"And one more thing."

"_What_?"

"You smell like horse shit."

"And _you_ never apologized for _hitting_ me!"

Kisa popped up from her blanket, half awake.

"Huh, what's going on?"

"Nothing…" they sighed.

* * *

><p>In the morning, the first thing Yuki did was take a bath in a wooden barrel. The conversation he had with Haru last night was still swimming around in his head.<p>

"Yuki. Hey, _Yuki!_"

Startled back to reality, he looked up at Hiro who hovered over him. When did he get there?

"Huh?"

"_Huh? _So how long are you gonna sit in there and daydream? Aren't you going to do anything useful? If not, you should just go already!" Hiro said with weary patience.

Yuki was tasked to buy food supplies with Hiro and Kisa at the market. After that, he had to help out with the chores. It was the only way he could pay back Haru, who was busy.

"Oh, sorry… I'm getting up."

Hiro crossed his arms.

"Don't bother! Kisa and I can do this by ourselves. Just give me the money."

"I can't. Haru said that we had to stick together, remember?"

"Humph, how come he trusts you so much? Is it just because you can hug Kisa? Big deal!"

"_Hiro_… Let him help out," Kisa said, smiling up at Yuki.

Yuki turned red, fell back into the barrel, and forced a smile in return. The truth was that he didn't want to do this any more than Hiro wanted him to. After Kisa left, he officially got up and changed into Haru's old clothes.

First, they stopped to buy vegetables. Hiro took care of filling their basket with onions, leeks, and turnips, while Kisa showed Yuki around with the point of her finger. Suddenly, she gasped at an injured white cat lying in the path of a moving wagon.

As Yuki was the only person paying attention, he ran in slowmo with his arms outstretched and scooped the cat into his arms, rolling safely off to the side.

Kisa quickly caught up to him, leaning over to see if they were both okay. She took the cat into her arms.

"Hey, wait a minute… You're that boy!" yelled the driver who didn't need a description.

Yuki's eyes widened as he recognized him.

"Somebody! Seize him! That little brat owes me five silver coins! Get the girl too!"

"Kisa, run!"

"Yuki! Ahhh!"

There was no time to run. They were both arrested.

_To be continued…_

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>: To be clear, the story assumes that Yuki does not know that "Neko" means "Cat." It's just a convenient code name that was invented by Kyo because I didn't want Yuki to figure out his identity this early in the story.

I don't know if "Laughing Cow" made any sense. I just ate Laughing Cow cheese with crackers today, which tasted very bad.

Thank you, mousecat and Skyerider, for commenting. =^_^=


	3. Fluffy

**~Chapter 3~**

"You are so quiet today, Tohru. Are you not enjoying yourself?"

The said girl sitting across the table maintained a calm and placid expression. She looked like a forest princess, dressed in an elegant green gown with golden trim, her long, brown hair neatly braided over her shoulders. However, a closer inspection revealed that something wasn't quite right. She ate very little and stared contemplatively at her full wine glass. They had the courtyard all to themselves.

"I am honored that you invited me to lunch, your majesty," she spoke somewhat monotone.

"I told you to call me _Kyo _when we're alone, damn it!"

"Yes, Kyo…"

"The tenth anniversary of my coronation is next week. I'm going to announce that I have chosen you to be my queen."

Tohru's expression finally changed. She looked more distressed than she did surprised.

"Your majesty, I couldn't possibly…"

"Oh for the love of cats, Tohru. When are you finally going to say my name? I've only ever given it to you."

"I'm sorry..."

"Tch! Fine, whatever. I don't mean to sound angry at you. I'm just in a bad mood because I can't find Fluffy. I don't know where that damn cat has gone to. Do you?"

"No," she replied, after tensing up a little.

The king suddenly rose from his chair and motioned over to her side. He took a strand of her hair and pulled on it gently, wrapping it around his finger.

"I love your hair. Don't ever cut it, okay?" Kyo smiled. It was hard to tell if he was being sincere.

"Yes, your... I mean Kyo."

He plucked the hair strand out with a quiet snap and released it in her wine.

"Go prepare yourself for the ceremony if you have nothing else to do. It's never too late to start," he said, before pulling his cape around dramatically as he turned to leave.

When the king was out of sight, Tohru jumped up and hurried in the opposite direction. She seemed to be looking for someone as she peered through different hallways. After she became tired, she stepped outside and leaned against a pillar to catch her breath. The cool breeze felt wonderful for a moment. Two moments. Three. When her break ended, she stepped from around the pillar and bumped into someone's chest.

"Oh, Kagura! I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bump into you."

Like Tohru, she was also quite pretty, perhaps even more so. She always went out of her way to impress with jewelry. Two less attractive girls, one big and one skinny, stood behind her and smirked.

"Good afternoon, Miss Tohru. How was lunch with His Majesty?"

"It was nice," she said, holding her head low.

"I heard that you hardly touched your food and didn't even drink. Had you no shame in his presence?"

The girls giggled.

"I'm feeling rather unwell today. Please excuse me. I would like to return to my chamber." She attempted to move, but Kagura pushed her up against the pillar.

"Funny, I thought I just saw you running around like a child." She flicked her hair over her shoulder. "Listen. Don't get any wrong ideas about His Majesty inviting you to lunch. I was invited first, but I declined because I had a previous engagement. You were lucky. He must have been desperate."

Tohru knew that it was a lie. This woman would not refuse Kyo for the world.

"I see," was all she replied.

"I hope it never happens again. Your act today was despicable."

Kagura and her friends walked away from Tohru, carrying their laughter down the hall. After they completely disappeared, she sighed inwardly, relieved. The last thing she wanted Kagura to find out was the topic of their lunch, not about the food. In the end, she decided to give up looking for this person and went up to her chamber. It had been beautifully furnished with fresh flowers from the Neko King this morning. Instead of walking up to admire them, she knocked them down, threw herself on the bed, and began writing a new entry in her diary.

_Today, His Majesty made it clear that he has chosen me. I do not know how to express my sorrow. I continue to pray that someone will save me._

* * *

><p>Yuki had a horrible habit of passing out and waking up in a new location. This time, he awoke in a dark, cold dungeon beneath the castle. His entire body ached, as if someone played kickball with it. His hands were bound together by a rope behind his back. He looked around, trying to orientate himself with his new surroundings. There were other people besides him, all tied up and appearing lifeless. A foul stench lingered in the air.<p>

As he struggled to sit up, a boy covered in filth observed him. His face came so close that Yuki recoiled in disgust.

"Ugh… Where am I?" Yuki groaned.

"Oh, does it really matter?" the boy replied. "You're probably going to die here!"

Wait, that wasn't anything to be excited about. What was wrong with this kid?

"_What?_"

"So what did you do?" he giggled.

"Uh, I just…" Suddenly, his memories flooded back and overwhelmed him. "Kisa!" he shouted, startling the other boy. "Have you seen her? A small girl with short, golden brown hair and brown eyes? Wearing a brown dress?" That was a lot of brown.

"Hmmmm. Nope!"

He felt his heart sink.

"Oh, don't look so worried! Girls usually get sent into prostitution."

That…didn't sound good either.

"Why aren't _you_ worried?" Yuki questioned.

"Oh, that's because I always escape! You see, I just turn into a cute little bunny and hop right out! Not that you would believe me, haha! Nobody ever does."

Yuki squinted hard to make out any familiar features in his appearance. His hair wasn't even blonde anymore. It was so filthy that he thought it was naturally black.

"Momiji… Is that really you?"

The boy looked astonished.

"Wow, you know my name! That's amazing! Say, are you like a witch? What do they call male witches?"

"Warlocks…"

"Ooh!"

If his hands were untied, he would have face palmed himself for answering that meaningless question. Despite that this boy was Momiji, he didn't feel at all relieved like when he found Haru. There was something really _off _about him.

"I can transform into a rat," Yuki said shortly, not feeling up to explaining his ordeal. "It works the same way for me."

Momiji jumped up and down, excited.

"Wow, really! Then we can escape _together_. We just have to wait until the timing is right."

"And when is that?"

"Hmmmm. Sometimes a week or even a month! When it finally gets overcrowded, they transfer us! That's when I always make my move."

"Just how many times have you been here?"

"Hmmm. I lost count!"

Yeah, something was clearly wrong with him. His screws needed tightening or something.

"Well, I can't afford to be here that long. I need to get out of here _right now _and find Kisa," he sighed. "Haru is going to _kill_ me…"

Momiji blinked.

"Oh, Haru! Wow, are you friends with him? He's famous! Nobody can defeat him in a fight!"

What part of 'Haru is going to _kill_ me' sounded like friendship? But no matter, Yuki thought he could use this to his advantage.

"Tell you what," Yuki started. "You help me get out of here, and I'll take you to his house, let you meet him, kiss him, or whatever you want. But it _has_ to be now."

"Hmmmm. Okay! I've got a plan! Since there are no girls here, we need to become weak in order to transform, right? That would happen eventually, since they don't feed us much. But if we want to speed things up, we'll have to let ourselves be tortured. All you have to do is annoy the guards and…" He continued to rant about how his plan would definitely work. "…and the final option of course is that we can hurt ourselves!"

Yuki blinked. He wanted to ask him if he was okay, but the answer had obviously been 'no' since the conversation started. Suddenly, his eyes widened as he thought of something. Of course! This was _his_ playground.

"Momiji…"

"Huh?" He smiled brightly.

"I think I have a better plan…" he said, as he stared intently at a rat crawling over his leg. It moved around to his back and started gnawing on the rope.

"Ooh!" Momiji watched in excitement.

* * *

><p>The Neko King paced back and forth in the throne room, clearly upset about something.<p>

"Why doesn't she ever…" he mumbled under his breath. "I thought she'd be…" More mumbling.

There was a sudden knock at the door, and his personal servant came in.

Kyo threw himself on the throne and crossed one leg over the other.

"Report. Have you found Fluffy yet?"

"As a matter of fact, we have found him, your majesty."

His face lit up like a child.

"Well, where was he?"

"Sir. He was found by a little girl in town."

"How the _hell_ did Fluffy get way out there? Fly?"

"We're still investigating…"

"Well don't just_ stand_ there, Ayame. Bring me Fluffy and the girl. I must reward her."

"But she is a peasant, my lord."

"_But she is a peasant, my lord. But she is a… _Look at me. Do I look like an idiot? Who else sleeps with rats?" he mocked.

Ayame's bottom lip twitched.

"No, sir. Only peasants do, sir. And as you wish, your excellence."

A few minutes later, he returned, pushing the timid girl all the way into the room. She held Fluffy in her arms.

"Oh! Fluffy!"

Kyo jumped down from the throne, his cape falling behind him.

"Ch ch ch ch ch ch ch! Come here, Fluffy. Ch ch ch ch ch!"

Fluffy squirmed out of the girl's arms and hid behind her legs, making a loud hissing sound.

Ayame rolled his eyes.

Kyo frowned and looked upon Fluffy's small rescuer.

"Well, it seems that Fluffy has taken a liking to you. What is your name, little girl?"

"…"

"Do you know who I am? I'm the _Neko King_." He flashed a smile fit for a Halloween mask. "I'll give you anything you want if you tell me your name."

"…"

"So what the hell are you, a mute?"

"M…"

"M…?"

"Maroone," she lied.

"Maroone. What a pretty name," he lied back. "So tell me what you want already. Money? Clothes? Jewlery? A cat?"

"Yuki…"

"Yuki?"

"He… He saved your cat. But he was arrested… Can you save him?"

Kyo looked directly at Ayame, giving him a silent order.

_Silence…_

_More silence and staring…_

"Holy mother of cats! Do you _always_ expect me to state the obvious? You heard Maroone, you moron. Go get this Yuki person and bring him here. And give this girl to Tohru while she waits. She won't mind her filth."

"My apologies, sir. Right away, your majesty."

_Maroone_ ended up taking Fluffy with her out of the room.

The door closed.

Kyo was all alone again with no Fluffy.

"I really _hate_ kids," he muttered.

* * *

><p>Ayame quickly pulled the little girl down the hallway, gritting his teeth. Who wouldn't be mad after getting mocked in the face not once, but twice? Now imagine it happening everyday for ten years. He almost couldn't <em>stand<em> it anymore. They went outside to the courtyard behind Tohru's quarters, where she had her own personal garden. He dropped Kisa there, wiped his hand off with a napkin, and turned sharply around on his heel.

"Um…um…thank you!" Kisa yelled after him.

Saying nothing in return, he went back inside the castle to inform Tohru and then to take care of Yuki. His yellow eyes glared ahead of him.

Kisa's curiosity guided her around. The garden had a very serene atmosphere. She walked up to an unusual purple flower, which Fluffy leaned out of her arms to touch.

"Do you like my flowers?"

The stranger's voice was so soft that Kisa wasn't even startled. She gazed in awe at the noblewoman and blushed.

"Are you...are you a princess?" she stammered.

Tohru smiled sweetly and came forward. Suddenly, her face turned pale when she noticed the white cat. It was back…

"What's…what's wrong?" Kisa asked innocently.

"N-nothing… Where did you find Fluffy?"

"Oh, I saw him at the market. A wagon almost hit him, but Yuki saved him." Kisa gently cuddled it.

Tohru kneeled down to examine the cat. It was injured, just as she remembered it before.

"Let's give him some milk and let him rest," she said. "And is Yuki your friend?"

Kisa nodded her head cheerfully. "I just met him yesterday."

"And what is your name?"

"Kisa," she replied easily.

Her smile came back, warmer than before.

"My name is Tohru."

And thus, a beautiful friendship was born.

* * *

><p>The news devastated Hatsuharu. He left Hiro at home to search for Kisa on the dark side of town. It tore his heart to see all the broken girls her age wandering around, waiting to sell their bodies.<p>

A skimpily dressed woman grabbed his shirt from behind.

"Hey big boy… You look lonely."

"Get the hell offa me!" He pushed her aside hard. "I'm looking for a little girl with short, golden brown hair, brown eyes, and wearing a brown dress."

"Oh, so that's your type?" she asked, annoyed.

"Hell no! Just get away from me… Just…"

Seeing that he had personal issues, the woman clicked her tongue and backed off from her prey.

Something inside Haru made him want to break down. He promised Kazuma that he would protect her, and he failed.

"Damn that _rat_… _Damn_ him!"

The next time they meet, he wouldn't hold back.

_To be continued…_

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> You guessed it. I'm eating Coconut Maroone cookies tonight.

Thanks again for the reviews! I really appreciate them. The next chapter is going to be a lot of fun.


	4. Rat Escape

**~Chapter 4~**

Ayame hated filthy places. The castle dungeon was the _last _place he ever imagined himself going to. Upon entering, a strong, musty odor assaulted his nose, and he quickly covered it with his napkin. He trudged down on a long, narrow path until he heard something quietly squeak from the below. A baby rat! Ayame stepped on its tail, causing the tiny animal to screech and make a run in the opposite direction. His laugh echoed throughout the corridor, as he had shown that rat who was boss. But a mere second later, there came another rat. And another. And another. Five rats. No, six rats! Ayame shivered as each furry beast brushed against his ankles. The angry mother of the baby he stepped on jumped onto his leg, making him fall backwards. The candle blew out. Nothing could prepare him for what was about to happen next. One by one, the darkness filled with glowing, purple eyes until there seemed to be a hundred of them. He let out a blood curdling scream.

"Did you hear that?" Momiji asked, as he playfully bounced in the river of rats.

"Just keep running!" Yuki huffed. Sooner or later, he tripped over a body. He stayed a moment to lift the man's head above the rats and gasped in surprise. Seeing that it was impossible to carry him, he ordered his little friends to move beneath him like a conveyor belt. They eventually emerged out of the dungeon, the rats scurrying off in all directions. Too bad there wasn't a close fiery explosion to make their escape look epic.

Yuki leaned over his unconscious brother and proceeded to shake him. The man had a frozen petrified look on his face.

"Ayame! Wake up! Snap out of it!"

After a long minute of yelling and shaking, Ayame sprang up and backed a few feet away from Yuki.

"The r-r-r-rats … Th-th-th-they were…!"

Momiji pointed and laughed at him, which wasn't helping.

"Ayame, it's okay! They're all gone now. More importantly, what were you doing down there?"

"I-I was sent here on behalf of the N-neko king to retrieve a prisoner by the name of Y-yuki."

"Haha! You're looking right at him!" Momiji promptly identified the prisoner. "Taa-daa!"

The siblings blinked at each other and spoke again at the exact same time.

"Wait, how did you know my name—"

"So what does the king want with me?"

_Silence._

Yuki cleared his throat to continue.

"Uh, it's kind of a long story… But why would the king want to see me?"

Ayame ran a hand through his already disheveled hair, trying to regain his composure.

"You will understand when you meet His Majesty. Now follow me."

"But wait a minute! There's something else that I have to do… You see, I'm looking for a little girl who was arrested with me…"

"Maroone is already waiting for you."

"Who?" Then it suddenly hit him. Whatever her circumstances were, she probably wanted to fake her name.

"_Enough!_ You will do as I say or else!"

Yuki blinked. Was this really his brother?

The snake quickly directed his angry, yellow eyes at the bunny.

"And _you_. I'm summoning the guards to escort you back underground where you belong."

"Awww, but I wanna play with Yuki some more! Can I? Can I pleeeease?"

"Silence! I will not tolerate disobedience, you insolent little—"

"If you don't let him come with me, then I'm not going," Yuki interrupted.

"Then I shall summon the guards!"

"Then I shall summon my rats!"

Ayame's entire body visibly trembled at the mere sound of the word. He tried to hide it.

"Ha! _You_, command an army of _rats_? Why that's preposterous! Do you honestly expect me to…"

In the next instant, a dozen rats crawled over to Yuki and formed a perfect circle around him.

Momiji wildly clapped his hands.

"Wow, that's amazing! What other tricks can they do?"

Ayame bit back his retort. Damn those rats.

* * *

><p>The door to the throne room cracked open as a sneaky woman peered inside. Her beloved king was starting to fall asleep on the throne, his head bobbing back and forth. Chance! She smoothed her dress over her hips before inviting herself in.<p>

Kyo glanced at her and yawned.

"Oh, it's just you. I thought I told you to knock before you came in, Kagura."

"My sincerest apologies, your majesty. I only wanted to inform you that I am free for breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day."

"Yeah? So what?"

"I… I was hoping that you would consider me instead of Miss Tohru next time."

"Do you have a_ problem_ with Tohru?"

"Oh, no, I could never! She is so beautiful and the purest of heart! I simply wish to enjoy the same privilege as she, your majesty."

"Yeah, whatever…"

"I am so grateful, your majesty! So maybe tonight, we could..."

"Kagura."

"Yes?" she answered excitedly.

"Give this message to Ayame when he returns. I gotta take a crap."

The snobbish swine listened as intently as she could.

* * *

><p>"Wow, amazing! I never thought I'd get to be inside the castle!" Momiji burst out, running around like an airplane.<p>

"There's no running inside!" Ayame bellowed after him.

"Awww! You're no fun!"

Yuki was admiring his surroundings when he noticed a familiar woman quickly approaching them. She seemed to be in a very unpleasant mood for some reason.

"Ayame! What an unsightly thing you are!" Kagura scowled. "Consider yourself fortunate that His Majesty sent _me_ in his place to meet you. Your orders are to treat the prisoner as a guest and prepare him to dine in the Great Hall where the king will be waiting."

Then she placed her hands on her hips, noticing something strange about the situation.

"Wait a minute. Why are there _two_ dirty lowlifes here? Which one of you is Yuki?"

"Oh, that would be him!" Momiji identified cheerfully again.

Yuki stared at Kagura, uncertain if he should say anything.

"Ayame, what is the meaning of this! I was told that you were only supposed to bring Yuki!"

"With all due respect, the situation is far more complicated than you perceive, my lady."

"Humph! Well _I'm_ not going to get in trouble for it. You will explain everything to His Majesty."

"Of course, my lady."

Kagura examined Yuki closely. An ugly look flashed into her eyes.

"I don't see what's so _special_ about you. You _ruined_ my dinner plans, you filthy little rat!" she said before storming out of the hall.

Well, Yuki couldn't argue with that. He _was_ a filthy rat. He was more concerned about having dinner with the infamous Neko King. As much as he liked the castle, he'd rather find Kisa, return to Haru's one-room house, and eat bread again.

"So… what now?" he asked Ayame.

The snake said nothing, probably sulking in anger.

Two other servants quickly came up to Yuki and Momiji, dragging them away to get cleaned.

* * *

><p>Yuki stood in front of the mirror and adjusted his new purple tunic, looking like Prince Charming again. He was given a decent room to share with Momiji that had two comfortable beds. He envied the bunny who was already fast asleep under the covers.<p>

'_So… You're finally going to meet Akito in this world'_ Yuki thought nervously. He wondered if he should ask him for his help. So far, his only lead to get back home was Haru's crazy assassination plot, which was definitely out of the question. Then again, this was Akito. Since _when_ did he help people?

Once he finished preparing himself, he stepped out of the room to find Ayame already waiting for him.

"Right this way," he said.

"Hey, can I see Maroone before—"

"No."

"Well can you at _least_ tell me why I'm having dinner with the king?"

Ayame silently guided him to a darker hallway. Then, without warning, he grabbed Yuki's arm and pinned him against the wall with surprising strength.

"Ouch! Ayame, what are you—"

"First you commanded a bunch of rats to help you escape from the dungeon, and then you called me by my name. Just who the hell _are_ you?" Ayame hissed.

"This...this isn't a good time to explain."

"_Answer_ me! You don't have your _rat_ friends to save you now."

Yuki had nothing to lose.

"We're brothers..."

"_Brothers_? Don't make me laugh. The only brother I had died right after he was born."

That wasn't the answer he completely expected. Was that supposed to be him?

"You...just have to believe me. I know everything about you, even that you turn into a snake."

"But my brother is dead!"

"Well I'm your brother from another world! Now will you_ please_ get off of me?"

Ayame stared at him wide-eyed.

"What…what did you say?"

Suddenly, there came a group of noblemen laughing nearby. Ayame slowly backed away and averted his eyes to the floor.

"We will continue this later… Come, we're almost late."

"And whose fault do you think _that_ is?"

Yuki glared at his brother the rest of the way to the Great Hall. But when they arrived, he forgot about his anger in an instant. It was by far the most decorative and colorful room in the castle, brightly lit with torches. Fancy dishes were served on golden and silver plates, foods that he rarely saw in his own world. A different servant guided him to his seat and quickly exited the scene. About a minute later, he heard the door open behind him, followed by footsteps and a cape dragging along the floor. Yuki forced himself to breathe steadily. This was it. The big moment. The Neko King.

"Damn, I'm starving," the king said, as he finally came into view.

Yuki blinked. That orange hair…

"I know. Hella scared, aren't you? This is my thanks for you saving Fluffy and all. Well don't just _stare_ at me. Eat something!"

_One…_

_Two…_

_Three…_

"Ahahahahahaha!"

"What the hell is so funny?"

Yuki doubled over with tears in his eyes, unable to stop laughing.

"Haha…well here I was, dreading that you were going to be Akito…but you're only just that _stupid cat_! Ahahaha!"

"What the _hell_ do you know about Akito…" he spoke in the lowest voice possible.

"Oh, about that… I know you're not going to believe me, but I came from another world where we're cousins, and Akito is the head of our family. So I thought this so called 'Neko King' was going to be him. Not _you_ of all people! Hahahahaha…haha…ha…"

Kyo hardly looked amused.

"You_ lyin'_ to me?"

Yuki was taken aback by his serious tone. What happened to the dumb insults that he usually retorted with?

"No, I'm not lying... The truth is that I know all about you and everyone else who has the curse. From my world, anyway." Yuki paused thoughtfully. "Well if Akito is not the king, then where is he? How do you know him?"

"Forget it. You're actually kinda interesting," the king replied, as he stared intently at his alien guest. "Amuse me. What am I like in _your_ world?"

That only made him more curious, but he had no choice but to go with the flow.

"Uhhh… Well, we live together with Shigure and Miss Honda. But we don't really get along. After all, you're the cat, and I'm the rat."

"Are Tohru and I married?" Kyo asked casually.

"What? Don't be silly! As if she would ever... Wait, you know Miss Honda?"

"Do I know her? Do I _know _her? She is to become my queen."

A genuine shock ran through him. Was he for real?

"When can I meet her? And Ki…I mean, Maroone?"

"Tch, there's no need to rush. They're probably just doing stupid girly stuff together._ With my Fluffy_."

Yuki looked relieved to hear that. No one was in danger.

"You know what? I'm starting to like you," Kyo said suddenly. "I think you were brought here for a purpose."

Oh no, not this fate stuff again.

"Kyo, listen. I'm just trying to find a way to return to my world."

The king's expression suddenly darkened.

"I'm afraid you're not going anywhere just yet, Yuki. I already have an important mission for you."

"An important...mission?"

"You know everybody who has the curse, right?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, there's this dragon that lives in the mountains east from here. The rumor is that he has a human form."

"You mean...Hatori?"

Kyo looked instantly satisfied.

"See? I thought you'd know something. I sent one of my strongest men to capture him weeks ago, but he hasn't come back yet. I bet the idiot got himself killed. This is probably something that only _you_ can do."

Yuki still desperately wanted to see Hatori, but were they really talking about the same person? There was no way that a weak little seahorse could intimidate anyone, no offense to him.

"Ah…getting him to listen shouldn't be that difficult."

Kyo got up and walked over to his side, patting him hard on the back.

"I knew we'd get along, Yuki! You will be my right hand man from now on. I'll give you your own personal servant first thing in the morning."

"Uh… But Kyo. I'm not planning to stay here that long. Like I said, I just want to—"

"Tell ya what. You help me, I help you. We got a deal?" Kyo smiled. "C'mon, let's drink to our new friendship!"

Yuki couldn't believe it. They were actually getting along. He lifted his glass next to Kyo's.

_Cling!_

* * *

><p>After dinner, a dinner which he surprisingly enjoyed, Yuki found his older brother waiting for him again. Instead of being lead back to his room where Momiji still slept, they went straight to Ayame's. It was small and dull in comparison to his.<p>

Ayame locked the door and promptly lit a candle, which burned dim.

"Let me guess…" Yuki started. "You want to continue our conversation from before? Look, I've really had a long day…"

"No, I have already concluded that you speak the truth. Please accept my _deepest_ apologies for the horrible way I treated you."

A mixture of surprise and relief swelled in his chest.

"Really?"

"Yes, you see... Who would have thought that my _savior_ would come in the form of my _brother_! It all makes sense now! The Gods have finally taken my side!"

"Ayame… What are you getting on about?"

"Tell me first. What is your opinion of His Majesty?"

"Uh… I don't know. I heard that he did bad things, but it's hard to take him that seriously. I can't even _think_ of him as a king," Yuki replied honestly.

"Yes, brother. The Neko King will be no match for us. We shall defeat him."

"Wait, that's not what I..."

The snake's eyes gleamed in the candle light.

"And I shall become the new king…"

* * *

><p><em>Meanwhile, somewhere far away...<em>

It was starting to get dark.

Hatori leaned against the cave wall, watching the sun slowly disappear over the mountains. He heard familiar footsteps approaching.

"It is very rare that I receive the same visitor twice," he spoke calmly, closing his eyes.

"I will not fail this time. Your power is _mine_."

_To be continued…_

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>: Poor Yuki, it's only going to get worse from here. *pats him*


End file.
